The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-04-23

Oh. UOSEfH nio.. ttiI IL.
President Winslow Judsou has issued his
annual report of the condition OF the ST.
Joseph and St. Louis road. The report
shows that since July |, 1886, wh"n The road
was taken from the control of tie Wabash
and operated BIZ the stockholders as All indie
pendent line, 1928 ,099 54 have been spent IN
construction and beiternents IN the last ak
months. Twenty miles of new steel rails
have been laid and other improvements
made. The gross earnings for the time from
July l, 1886, to December 81, 1886, were
sl25 All 81, and the net earnings clG,35S Is.
The report goes on to say that last June a
trific contract was made with the Wabash
by which the St. Joe " st. Louis were allow
Cd an addition beyond its actual mileage pro-
p )rtlon. Under the contract, the companies
transacted a great amount of business, and
the chief revenue of the st. Joe " st. Louis
was derived from it. Without this ourlet.cOn-
tinues Mr.. JudSOn. or some other equally
as good. for through business, we should be
compelled to look mainly 10 our local busf-
ness. The most important part o: the re-
port, to st. Joseph, Is this paragraph
81 am sorry 10 say that the Wabash receiy-
er served a notice upon US a short time since
| that ut the end of sixty days they would
cease to do business with us under the con-
tract referred to. 1 am also sorry to say that
1 have become aware of the fact that the
Wabash are at present negotiating an ar
rangement by which they can extend their
line to St. Joe over another route, which
| will give them a line equally short End direct
between ST. Joe and st. Louis as the line
which we have been jointly operating.
Should such an event take place It would he
very disastrous to this company, and until
we could find some other relief, make 1t i'm
possible to operate the line with profit. 1t Is
and has been, in my Judgment, II matter OF
paramount Importance that We should at
once change this condition of affairs. There
Is only one method of relief which suggests
itself to nv mind, and that is, that we should
extend our road with the least unnecessary
delay to u connection with some other line,
or lines, with which we can make a friendly
alliance. To do this, it is highly probable
that it will be necessary to construct Il bridge
across the Missouri river al Lexington, build
in a south or westerly direction, to secure
such connection across the Missouri river
and less than fifteen miles to the south OF
southwest, we could make a connection witt
the Chicago & Alton line, and pointing il
the same general locality are the two new
lines which are being constructed from st
Louis. While no effort has been made upoi
our part to effect traffic arrangements witt
any one of the three lines mentioned, l HI
satisfied that a favorable connection with on
or two more could be sGcured,"
!. In this connection, it may be said that tn
arrangements with the Chicago " AltOl
spoken of have already been nearly compile
ted, and Mr.. Judson is now at st. LOuis 70
the purpose Of closing this bargain. Tbi
will bring the Alton into S.. Joe III the cours
of a year at most, and perhaps other line
from st, Louis.
1t is understood that the Wabash will ru
into St. Joseph over the Rock Island track
striking the latter at Gsllatln, Davies county
Mo. The Rock Island runs by Gallatin o
} the north, and the Wabash on the south.
!, switch connecting the two Is now bein
built through Gallatin.
We cannot O. strongly urge upon on
readers the Importance of the abov
information to the people of Lexins
ton. The St. Joseph road is now in
q position where it is almost compelIe
to cross the river at this point. To d
10 it must eXpend a great deal
O money. X must necessarily be a yes
or more before a bridge can be bull
In the meantime President JudsC
proposes to spend $4,000 to bull
n down to the river, if we will spel
y 81 900 for the depot. As the road
l. the junction is an Improbable II
= the company, until it can be eZtendt
= to us, the request he makes of us is II
unreasonable. He has no responsible
ty for the wasting of our $4,000 for
d long time. Neither he nor his comp
IS ny are responsible for that, in the les
u degree. He desires now to make t
road useful to us beyond our most sa
le guine expectations i'll the pa
OF Should we net respond to his effol
literally?